112 
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. 
from the Rails, where, unconsciously coinciding in this with Spix, 
Illiger, and Lichtenstein, we at first arranged it; and finding the 
genus Jlramus already proposed for it by Vieillot, willing as we 
are to admit it to this rank, we do not hesitate a moment to adopt 
his name, and although we must acknowledge ourselves equally 
unable with Dr. Wagler to explain the meaning or etymology of 
the word, we do not think this any reason why we should, with 
the German ornithologist, apply to this bird a new compound 
signifying Spurious Heron. 
It was supposed that South America might furnish us with a 
second species of Courlan, but it being now a well ascertained 
fact that the Carau of d’Azara is the same as the Guarauna of 
Marcgrave, the bird must stand alone in his genus unless new 
discoveries shall supply him with a companion. This being 
settled, we shall proceed to give a minute description, that will 
therefore comprehend both its generic and specific characters. 
Although there can be no doubt that our bird is the Guarauna 
of Marcgrave, it would be committing a great error to take it for 
the Scolopax , (or Numenius ) Guarauna of systematical writers, that 
being a very different bird, a species of genuine Ibis, which they 
ought to place under their Tantalus, and which has nothing in 
common with our bird except a somewhat similar speckled 
appearance, the only source of all this confusion. 
Instituting a genus for this bird does not however decide the 
question where it ought to be placed, for it may still be inquired, 
in what part of the system shall we arrange the genus. The 
reader cannot fail to be surprised that we, who made a species 
of Rail of the same bird, should place it, as a genus, in a very 
distant family. But this is the result of more mature reflection, 
and however apparently remote may appear to be at first sight 
the two families Ballidse and Jlrdeidee, we have already seen that 
the subgenus Jlrdeola claims some analogy with the former, and 
